Clasp.



F. HIRSH.

CLASP.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 23, 1911.

1,081,501 I. Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

UNTTFQE STATES ra'rnn'r carton CLASP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec.16,1913.

Application filed March 23, 1911. Serial No. 616,345.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, F RED HnisH, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and Stateof Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inClasps, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my present invention is to produce a simple andinexpensive yet attractive and efficient clasp; and this object I attainby certain novel features of construction and combination of parts, ashereinafter fully described, with reference to the accompanying drawingsin which Figure l is a top or face view showing one embodiment of myinvention; F ig. 2, a side view thereof; Fig. 3, a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Figs. t and 5, views illustrating respectively the blanksfrom which the two members of the clasp illustrated in the precedingfigures are formed; and Figs. 6 and 7, views in perspective illustratingmodified forms of what may be designated as the hinged clamping memberof the clasp.

Similar reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the severalfigures of the drawing.

As here illustrated the clasp consists of a U-shaped back or body piece1, the top or face of which is preferably stiffened by a marginal raisedrib 2 upset therefrom, and of a hinged member, comprising the lever arm3 and lateral wings 4 bent inwardly at substantially right anglestherewith,which is pivotally mounted on the face of the body piece, asby bending its inner end 5 around a pintle 6 formed in the face of thebody piece by a slit 7 and opening 8, so that the.

inturned lateral wings may swing through and below the face to act incooperation with the back of the body piece. One of the lateral wings isprovided with an outwardly projecting catch or detent 9 which may beformed by suitably upsetting the material of the wing and which isadapted, as the lever arm is swung inwardly to closed position, to snappast and into engagement with an edge of the face of the body piece atthe side of the opening 8 to lock the parts together; and a longitudinalopening or slit 10 is preferably cut in the lever arm to improve thespring action of the catch as it is snapped past the edge of the bodypiece. The action of the clasp as a whole is or may be improved, and theclasp adapted to use with fabrics of different thicknesses, by cuttingout the back of the body piece so as to form a springtongue 11 of thatportion thereof which is beneath and with which the hinged clampingmember cooperates, and it may also be desirable in certain cases toupset this spring-tongue so as to form a raised rib 12 which will extendlongitudinally between the lateral wings of the hinged member when theclasp is closed. The lateral wings of the hinged member may servedir'ectly as clamping jaws, as in the form of clasp already described,and, if desired, their ends may be extended and bent around and broughttogether beyond the hinge, so as to form an additional contact edge, asat et in the modified form of the hinged member shown in Fig. 6; orthese lateral wings may serve to grlp and secure in place a block orpiece 13, of rubber or other similar yielding and clinging material, asillustrated. in the second modification of the hinged member shown inFig. 7. This last modification will prove a very desirable featurewhere, as in case the clasp is used as a neck-tie fastener or as part ofa hose supporter, it is desired to hold a soft and delicate fabricfirmly without slipping or abrasion.

The two clasp members are made from sheet metal or of any other suitablemate- 'rial, and each may be stamped out and shaped by a singleoperation of suitable dies.

The clasp is simple, easily and cheaply manufactured, strong, durable,and eflicient.

While I have shown and described above what I now consider the bestforms of my improved clasp, it will, of course, be understood that thesame may be variously modified in its details, within the scope of theappended claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing theadvantages of my invention.

WVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A clasp comprising a substantially U- shaped body piece, a clampingmember hinged at one end to the upper side of the body-piece andprovided with lateral jaws which are bent at substantially right anglestherewith and are adapted to swing downwardly through an opening in thatside of the body-piece, and a spring-tongue which is formed within andas a part of the lower side of the body-piece with sides extendingparallel to the lateral jaws of the clamping member and which is adaptedto cooperate with the clamping member.

2. The combination, in a clasp, of a sub stantially U-shaped body-piece,a clamping member which comprises a lever-arm pivoted at one end to theupper side of the body-piece and provided with lateral jaws extendingdownwardly at substantially right angles thereto and adapted to be swungthrough an opening in the upper side of the body-piece, a longitudinalslot formed in the lever-arm between the lateral jaws and extendingnearly the entire length of the lever-arm, and a spring-tongue formedwithin and as a part of the lower side of the body-piece with sidesextending parallel to the sides of and adapted to cooperate with theclamping member.

3. The combination, in a clasp, of a substantially U-shaped body-piece,a clamping member which comprises a lever-arm pivoted at one end to theupper side of the body-piece and provided with lateral jaws extendingdownwardly at substantially right angles thereto and adapted to be swungthrough an opening in the upper side of the body-piece, a longitudinalslot formed in the lever-arm between the lateral jaws and extendingnearly the entire length of the leverarm, an outwardly projecting catchor detent upon one of the said lateral jaws below the plane of thelever-arm adapted to snap past and into engagement with an edge of theopening in the upper side of the bodypiece, and a spring-tongue formedwithin and as a part of the lower side of the bodypiece with sidesextending parallel to the sides of and adapted to cooperate with theclamping member.

4. A clasp comprising a substantially U- shaped body-piece having anopening in its upper side which is inclosed on all sides, a lever-armpivotally mounted at one end upon the upper side of the body-piece andprovided with lateral aws bent at right angles therewith and adapted toswing downwardly through the opening in the upper side of the body-pieceand a catch projecting outwardly from one of said lateral jaws below theplane of the lever-arm and adapted to snap past and into engagement withan edge of the said opening when the hinged lever-arm is swungdownwardly to closed position upon the upper side of the bodypiece. V

5. The combination, in a clasp, of a substantially U shaped body piecehaving formed in its upper side an opening which is inclosed on allsides and a clamping memher which comprises a lever-arm pivoted at oneend upon the upper side of the bodypiece and provided with lateral jawsextending downwardly at substantially right angles thereto and adaptedto be swung through the opening in the upper side of the body-piece, alongitudinal slot formed in the lever-arm between the lateral jaws andextending nearly the entire length of the leverarm, and an outwardlyprojecting catch or detent upon one of the said lateral jaws below theplane of the lever-arm and adapted to snap past and into engagement withan edge of the said opening in the upper side of the body-piece.

6. A clasp member formed of resilient metal and comprising a lever-armwhich is adapted to be hinged at one end, lateral jaws which are formedintegral with and bent at substantially right angles to the lever-arm, acatch which projects outwardly from one of the lateral jaws below theplane of the lever-arm, and a longitudinal slot which is formed in thelever-arm between the lateral jaws and extends nearly the entire lengthof the lever-arm to facilitate the spring act-ion or the lateral jawcarrying the catch or detent.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aflixed my signature in thepresence of two witnesses.

FRED HIRSH.

Witnesses MAY FREVERT, FRANK SOHUMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

